WV Online Casinos

Instant Tickets

• Sales: 523.8M
• Prizes: 355.5M
• Lottery Take: 168.3M
• Return to Player: 67.87% (Rounded)

As far as Instant Tickets go, the return-to-player is obviously abysmal, but is pretty much right around the national average for this type of game.

Washington State Lottery

The Washington State Lottery publishes a Comprehensive Annual Report, with the most recent one (as of the time of this writing) being in 2019, and can be found via the following link.

The first thing that we notice is that Washington is not a state that authorizes Video Lottery Terminal, “Parlors,” through the State Lottery in the fashion that states such as West Virginia, Illinois (and a few others) do.  The Lottery products in this state are limited to Instant Tickets (Scratchers), national mega jackpot drawing games, such as Mega Millions and Powerball as well as some in-state Drawing games such as Match 4 and Keno.

The Keno is not the closed-circuit televised affair that you might see in a state such as Ohio, where there is a feed of electronic keno televised to bars and retailers across the state.  Instead, Washington’s Keno is simply a single drawing that takes place on a nightly basis similar to the way that a Match 5 drawing would work.  There is indeed a Keno card, but it’s only good for one night’s drawing and is printed much in the same fashion that any other lottery ticket would be.

Fortunately, on Page 24, this Comprehensive Annual Report does separate sales and prizes into different categories of Instant (Scratch-Off) games compared to drawing games, which unfortunately, some lottery Annual Reports do not do.  This will give us the ability to specify the returns of each general game type, which we will do below:

Papa’s Casino

Located in Moses Lake, Washington, Papa’s Casino actually has the full designation of Papa’s Casino Restaurant and Lounge, but really just goes by the simpler moniker.

The Table Games offered at this casino are 9 gaming tables which offers Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Lucky Ladies, Spanish 21, No Limit Holdem, Mixed Games and Spread Limit Hold’em.  Additionally, the property is home to a poker room which spreads both Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em and features frequent tournaments.

One thing we notice is that this casino is located in the same place as Ten Pin Tap House and Brewery, which leads us to believe that the restaurant on the property is no longer called Papa’s.  Anyway, there’s definitely food on site, so don’t worry about that…but we’re not going to list anything else simply because they might be separate legal entities at this point.

Social Gambling

In terms of Social Gambling, many forms of social gambling are legal with the state law having this to say:

“A natural person who gambles at a social game of chance on equal terms with the other participants shall not be considered as rendering material assistance to the establishment, conduct or operation of the social game merely by performing, without fee or remuneration, acts directed toward the arrangement or facilitation of the game, such as inviting persons to play, permitting the use of premises for the game, or supplying cards or other equipment to be used in the games.”

In other words, you can have home-based poker games and other types of games as long as all players are equal participants and there is no, “Rake,” on poker or, “House Edge,” involved on other games.  Even games with a house edge could technically be legal as long as no individual player is acting as the house (for example, you could legally have a home Blackjack game that operates under casino rules as long as the deal was passed from player to player—in essence—all players would be acting as, “The House,” an equal amount of the time.)

Interestingly enough, certain types of games are illegal under social gambling laws:

“However, bracket pools, office sports pools, and fantasy sports have never been authorized as gambling activities in Washington State and are illegal.”

Therefore, as bizarre as it seems, Fantasy Football would be an illegal activity as it is not a form of gambling that has ever been specifically authorized by the state.  A similar part of the code has this to say, as I found on Wizard of Vegas:

Aside from forms of gambling legalized by the State, gambling is illegal. The most dangerous law to players that I have seen makes it a Class C Felony to transmit or receive gambling information by electronic means, and yes, the Internet is specifically mentioned.

Therefore, players can be penalized for unlawful gambling by the state, and any illegal form of gambling that involves an electronic device is a Class C Felony—for players!!!

That’s pretty unique as, even with the states that have laws on the books that would impact individual players (and many of them focus only on operators) it’s almost never a felony to be participating as a player, usually it’s a low-grade Misdemeanor or, “Violation,” considered similar to a traffic ticket.

Our advice in this state is, if you’re going to gamble, it’s probably going to be a good idea to make absolutely sure that you’re doing it in a legal and state-sanctioned fashion.

Charitable Gambling

The gambling fun doesn’t stop in West Virginia with pari-mutuel, casinos and lottery. Many forms of Charitable Gambling are also permitted throughout the state.

The two forms of Charitable Gambling permitted by the state are Bingo and Raffles. The laws for both can be found here.

Covered by Article 20 and Article 21, so let’s go over some of the highlights:

The first thing covered is that entities don’t necessarily have to be licensed to conduct, “One-off,” type raffles provided they have been bona fide non-profit entities in the state for a period of at least one year, will have no prize exceed $4,000 and do not anticipate more than $15,000 in raffle revenue within a calendar year:

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article to the contrary, any charitable or public service organization which has been in existence in this state for at least one year is hereby authorized to conduct raffles without compliance with the licensing provisions of this article: Provided, That any prize awarded in any single raffle at a raffle occasion may not exceed in value the sum of $4,000: Provided, however, That the cumulative gross proceeds derived from the conduct of raffle occasions by any such charitable or public service organization shall not exceed $15,000 during any calendar year: Provided further, That any such organization shall not be subject to the record keeping provisions of section sixteen of this article but shall maintain a separate accounting for the operation of raffles. All records required by this section shall be maintained for at least three calendar years and shall be available for reasonable inspection by the commissioner.

That’s pretty lenient for smaller organizations that just need to make a few extra bucks here and there throughout the year and might not be big enough (or have enough revenue expectation) to justify cutting through all of that red tape.

West Virginia’s fees for a raffle license for all other organizations are particularly lenient. In addition to the fact that the state takes no cut whatsoever of raffle proceeds, the licensing fee is only $500 per annum and comes with relatively little oversight aside from that:

1. A license fee shall be paid to the Tax Commissioner for annual licenses in the amount of $500. A license fee shall be paid to the Tax Commissioner for a limited occasion license in the amount of $50. All revenue from said license fee shall be deposited in the special revenue account established under the authority of section two-a, article nine, chapter eleven of this code and used to support the investigatory activities provided for in said section. The license fee imposed by this section is in lieu of all other license or franchise taxes or fees of this state and no county or municipality or other political subdivision of this state is empowered to impose a license or franchise tax or fee on any raffle or raffle occasion.

2. The gross proceeds derived from the conduct of a raffle occasion are exempt from state and local business and occupation taxes, income taxes, excise taxes and all special taxes. Any charitable or public service organization conducting a raffle occasion pursuant to the provisions of this article is exempt from payment of consumers sales and service taxes, use taxes and all other taxes on all purchases for use or consumption in the conduct of a raffle occasion and is exempt from collecting consumers sales taxes on any admission fees and sales of raffle tickets.

The regulations over and above these mostly have to do with the conduct of the raffles themselves and limitations on how much raffle operators are to be compensated for the running of the raffles. Other regulations include the type of employees and wages that are permitted for other activities (such as custodial) related to the raffle.

The raffles are often 50/50 raffles with some Pull Tab type games that take place, typically in conjunction with Bingo sessions. For that reason, where there’s Bingo, there will usually be raffles. Some organizations (such as parent-teacher organizations or fraternal organizations) will conduct raffles in absence of a bingo event, but other organizations generally do it in conjunction with Bingo.

Poker & Cardrooms in West Virginia

Online poker is legal in West Virginia and was included in H 2934. This is scheduled to be the last of the three main new WV online gambling verticals – with sports betting and casino games going first.

With a smaller population, WV would significantly benefit from joining inter-state player pools. This would mean more choice of games, bigger tournaments and big promotions become possible.

Merging more states’ players into shared poker rooms is waiting for the outcome of appeals at the Supreme Court against various challenges to the 1963 Wire Act.

In states which already have regulated online poker sites, many big global brands have entered into partnerships with local casino license holders. These include Party Poker, 888 and PokerStars. Game formats available include cash games (the standard real money betting format), tournaments, sit n goes (including lottery sit n goes) and fast-fold poker. With smaller player pools, only the most popular poker variations in Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha are available.

Live poker rooms can be found in 5 venues in West Virginia. These are as follows:

1. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races: 16 Tables
2. The Greenbrier at White Sulphur Springs: 2 Tables
3. Mardi Gras Casino at Nitro, WV: 24 Tables
4. Mountaineer Casino, New Cumberland: 14 Tables
5. Wheeling Island Casino, Wheeling WV: 9 Tables

Famous poker players from the Mountain state include Jason Koon. This poker pro has a long list of tournament successes both live and online. Notable wins include $1 million for 1st place in the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, and a runner up spot in the 2013 Bellagio Cup for more than $300,000. Koon’s all-time winnings exceed $28 million.

Poker home games are not explicitly legal under West Virginia laws – though the wording is dated and ambiguous. There are no reports of home games being stopped. As in many other states, enforcement action does not usually happen for recreational games where nobody is making a profit from hosting / running the game.

Mobile Blackjack Apps

The most popular casino card game has a place in every mobile casino app. Blackjack apps work well for single hand play, though the multi-hand games can be crowded on smaller screens. You can drag and drop your bets and hit buttons to decide on your action.

Side-bets vary between casinos. While the house-edge is often bigger for these, they do add an element of excitement – with big windfalls possible.

Bigger (international) casinos offer mobile versions of popular blackjack variants. You can find blackjack Switch, Spanish 21, Pontoon and Free Bet Blackjack available.

Palace Casino Lakewood

Located in Lakewood, Palace Casino is owned by the same company as Chips Casino and basically exists because the two casinos would have too many tables to become one casino under Washington law.  If they were allowed to be larger, then it would probably just be one or the other.

In any event, this property consists of a Poker Room that deals Texas Hold ‘Em Poker, as well as Omaha, and features frequent promotions and tournaments.  Basically, Chips Casino for the Table Games that are house-banked and this place if you’re looking for Live Poker.

As with Chips Casino, since its the same thing in every way except the legal sense, this restaurant serves all three meals of the day and features American, Chinese and Vietnamese food for lunch and dinner.

Basically, if the laws weren’t weird, this would simply be the poker room of Chips Casino.

Are Casino Apps Better than Desktop Games?

Both have their place. With desktop casinos you get a bigger choice of games. You also get more screen real estate to enjoy the graphics and animations. Real money casino apps allow you to have quick gambling sessions in otherwise ‘dead’ time – for example in a waiting room or in a line. Mobile games also mean you don’t need to sit at a computer to play. A tablet or phone is the ideal device to enjoy a slot (for example) while watching TV in the evening.

The downside with apps is that you don’t get the full range of games. Some games work a lot better than others on smaller screens. Live dealer games, craps and roulette are examples of games which require a bigger screen to be at their best.

If you choose casino websites, moving between casino brands – for example to take up special promo offers – is very easy to do. Unless you download several apps, you’ll end up playing most of your games at a single casino.

Elwha River Casino

The Elwha River Casino is another smallish establishment this time located in Port Angeles, Washington. The approximate square footage of this facility is 7,000 square feet, so it’s a little larger than our previous entry, but not by much. The building itself is equally non-descript, it’s one of those buildings that looks like a small convention hall or American Legion facility, or something…if not for the sign, it could be anything.

The slot machine count for this property stands at a little over 100, so this basically functions as an overgrown slots parlor. Like Coulee Dam Casino, there are no table games.

The property is home to one eatery, which is called the River’s Edge Deli, it serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a casual American menu.

As of the time of this writing, this casino opens up at 10:00a.m. everyday, closing at midnight Sunday-Thursday and 2:00a.m. on the weekends.

Perhaps one unique thing about this little casino is that they either did or still do offer shuttle service if you’re in the Port Angeles area. That’s pretty nice if you happen to be staying nearby, even if you don’t necessarily care about the machines and just want to go somewhere for a few cocktails. Before going to the area, we would recommend calling ahead and making sure that they’re still doing the shuttle as that might have changed since the time of this writing.

Ilani Casino Resort

The Ilani Casino Resort is located in Ridgefield, Washington, which is near La Center. It is owned and operated by the Cowlitz Tribe and opened in 2017. There was a lengthy legal battle between the state and the Tribe as the Tribe sought authorization to form a reservation on which to build the casino…as it was argued that they didn’t have the legal right to do so. That matter was eventually settled and this sizable location opened.

As far as licensing is concerned, the Cowlitz Tribe had actually been granted a casino license from the National Indian Gaming Commission more than a decade prior to the opening of this casino, with the rest of the time spent in legal limbo as it was finally decided (it went to Federal Court) that they did indeed have the right to establish a reservation at the site. This decision was even appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, but the SCOTUS declined to hear the case and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Cowlitz were supported financially in the construction of this project by the Mohegan Sun of Connecticut, who provided over 100 million dollars of financing for the project.

The property consists of over 350,000 square feet of total space and Ridgefield can be found roughly 25 miles North of Portland, so this establishment is definitely worth consideration for those who are visiting the Portland area.

The gambling floor itself consists of over 100,000 square feet of space and is open 24/7. Unlike the former Revel (now Ocean Resort) in Atlantic City, this property seems to survive just fine as a 100% non-smoking facility.

The slot floor consists of more than 2,500 total machines ranging from pennies to high denomination units.

The Table Games pit consists of 75 gaming tables featuring Blackjack, Craps, Let it Ride, Midi-Baccarat, Pai-Gow Poker, Roulette, Spanish 21, Three-Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em…which seems a bit limited in overall game choices given the size of the casino. While the casino operates 24/7, other than the staple Table Games, it’s highly doubtful that every single one of these games do, so we recommend calling ahead for the typical operating hours of your game of choice.

The ilani Cowlitz Ballroom is a sizable venue (seating 2,500) that features occasional nationally known acts. Unlike some other casinos in the state, they continue to have events even during Covid-19, but are taking some safety precautions as relates masks and social distancing.

The Muze Lounge is open daily (though not until the evening on weekdays) and would typically feature free live entertainment. Likely due to Covid-19, there are no events scheduled at this time according to their website. THe lounge has an ultra-hip, colorful and modern aesthetic that puts in on par with most casino lounges that you’ll find even in the bigger gambling states and casinos.

As far as the casino being called a, “Resort,” for the time being, it doesn’t even have a hotel of any kind. There are long-term plans to build a hotel, but as of the time of this writing, no firm opening date for the hotel appears to have been set. We guess they didn’t want to have to change the logo later on, so they decided to just start calling themselves a resort now.

The 360 Bar is a circular bar that sits basically in the middle of the casino floor and features bartop machines as well as a wide array of cocktails.

The property features a number of eateries ranging from fine dining to grab and go. One grab and go example is Chef Jet, which is a quick service Asian food location for players who want to eat and run, or maybe even take their food to the machines with them. Also located in the food court area is a coffee shop that doesn’t really seem to have a name, but serves Starbucks coffees as well as a variety of other pastries, desserts and snacks. I.Talia is another food court stop that serves ready-made Italian food, such as stromboli and sandwiches, but also makes made-to-order pizzas if that’s what you want.

Another food court location is Smashburger, which is part of the Smashburger chain, which is pretty widespread on the left side of the country. If you’ve been there before, then you know what you’re getting, and they pride themselves on always using never frozen beef.

Open Tuesday-Saturday, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse is a dinner-only fine dining establishment that certainly has championship-level prices. Are the prices worth it? Well, if you eat there, certainly feel free to let us know because I’m definitely not paying what they want for a steak dinner…these prices are as high as I’ve seen anywhere-Vegas included.

Line and Lure is kind of a midscale casual seafood spot that features the best of the local catches. Brightly lit and located just off of the casino floor, this establishment provides a better than decent value for your money, especially if you live in an area where fresh seafood is typically difficult to come by. We definitely recommend checking this one out if you visit the property.

Longhouse is a midscale casual Asian dining experience with noodle and rice dishes as well as a variety of seafood and sushi selections. This is another one that you should check out if you happen to be at the casino, especially (once again) if you live in an area where it’s rare to find good sushi…you’ll not be disappointed here.

Rose & Thorn is a combination restaurant and lounge that is open for dinner-only seven days per week. The atmosphere and prices are upscale casual and it features a pretty expansive and varied menu consisting of Mediterranean and Italian inspired selections of steaks, pizzas and seafood.

Taco Cantina is the other remaining food court eatery and features extremely wallet-friendly prices on some excellent street tacos and other sides. We definitely recommend grabbing some fun food from this fast stop if you’re visiting the casino and want something quick!

Finally, Tom’s Urban is a sports bar type pub that is open most hours of the day and features and assortment of American pub style food as well as a wide variety of sandwiches.

Lacking a hotel (for the time being) this property is not really a resort just yet, but it does have a wide assortment of gambling selections as well as perhaps the most varied food choices of any casino in the state. You can easily spend an entire day here and not be wanting for anything to do, and when the hotel is finally completed, this will definitely be high on our list of Staycation recommendations…or perhaps even for a full week stay depending on the other amenities that may be added along with the hotel. For the time being, there’s no question that you should pay Ilani a visit if you’re in the area—if for no other reason that the wide variety of dining options!

Getting Started with Mobile Casino Apps

You can enjoy mobile casinos in two ways.

First, you can download an online casino app. These are available for Android devices in all regulated states – and for Apple devices too in New Jersey. The second option is to use the web browser on your smartphone or tablet. You’ll find that most games adjust automatically to your screen size.

Apps create a smoother experience. You won’t need to download the graphics and animations each time you choose a new game. The trade-off is that there are often fewer games available. The number (and type) of games on apps vs the responsive web-based casino is closing fast.

Below are the top mobile casinos for NJ, PA and International readers. Once you have chosen one, simply visit using your phone or tablet. You’ll be automatically prompted to download the app in most cases.

iPhone Casino Apps: Apple users don’t currently have downloadable apps in Pennsylvania. This is due to changes in the App Store. While we wait for the casinos to create apps that meet the new technology requirements, you can use the GeoGuard Location Validator, available in the app store to access the iOS version of the casino or sportsbook. NJ and casino players outside of the United States, will have no problem downloading an iOS casino app from the app store.

Android Casino Apps: Android users will find apps at all our featured online casinos. For state-regulated casinos you’ll need to download them directly from the casino websites. Before you do this, you need ensure your download won’t be blocked. You can allow downloads from ‘unknown sources’ via an option in your settings.

You’ll be able to create an account, deposit and withdraw, access bonus deals and enjoy most of the games at mobile casinos.

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Buzz Inn Steakhouse

Located in Ellensburg, Washington, this is basically just a steakhouse that happens to have a card room.  You can definitely tell where the priorities are when the card room aspect is not even mentioned in the establishment’s name, which is fine.

The menu is pretty sprawling, so we would recommend asking your waiter or waitress for which items are frequently ordered.  The one thing about restaurants with huge menus is that the items that they don’t frequently make sometimes don’t come out all that great.  We’re not saying that’s the case here, for all we know, every single menu item is fantastic…but it is true of many other places.

In fact, this location doesn’t even mention the gambling component on their primary website, though they do have a separate Facebook page for the poker room.  What we can gather is that there is only poker (no house-banked table games) with two tables.  Sometimes Texas Hold ‘Em, sometimes Omaha, sometimes both.

All Star Casino

This establishment, located in Silverton, has a little bit more going on than the previous listing in that they are also home to some bowling lanes.  Like we said, gambling is not going to be the sole (or even necessarily the primary) focus of many of these places.

The table games featured in this establishment are Blackjack, Texas Shootout, Player’s Edge 21 and Pai-Gow Poker.  In addition to the house-banked table games, the venue is also home to a five-table poker room that features frequent tournaments and other promotions.  All of the games dealt in this poker area are Texas Hold ‘Em.

In addition to the gambling offerings, the property is home to a sizeable arcade, which the kids should love, as it features an impressive array of arcade games.  You can check out their website for the full list if you’re interested.

The bowling aspect of the facility is also impressive in scope, given that it features a total of forty lanes and has many options for leagues and tournaments.  Additionally, there are many big screen TV’s in the bowling area, so you can keep an eye on sporting events or whatever else they happen to have on.

Essentially, this place is home to two eating establishments as All Star Diner and All Star Espresso might as well be the same thing.  The Espresso is a coffee bar with a wide selection of delicious choices—which they should be—as this is Washington we’re talking about.  All Star Diner features Casual American and American Comfort food all at really cheap prices.  Ozzie’s Place Bar and Bistro serves the type of pub food you would expect from such a place.

All considered, this is a great stop for the whole family, even without the table games and poker.  It’s pretty neat that you can eat, drink, play arcade games, bowl and get a little gambling done all in one place.  If your kids are old enough, then you can probably give them some money, turn them loose and hit the poker room.

If you do that, though, make sure you at least bowl a couple games with them before or after.  I mean, come on!

Crazy Moose Casino Pasco

Once again, this Crazy Moose Casino is located in a town of the same name-Pasco.

Table Games consist of some Blackjack variants, High Card Flush, WPT Heads Up Hold ‘Em and Spanish 21.   Unlike the other Crazy Moose, this one does have a poker room.  Unfortunately, the website is really scant for details on the poker room other than to tell us that poker exists there.

This restaurant is different in that it also appears to be called Crazy Moose and has a considerably larger menu than the other.  It also consists of American fare, but is definitely a bit more pricey when compared to the other Crazy Moose Casino Restaurant.  We would probably put this one more in the category of midscale American casual food.

Wild Goose Casino

The Wild Goose Casino is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and is another location that focuses exclusively on the casino aspect of things for entertainment.

The place has a Table Games area on par with any other and offers Blackjack, High Card Flush, Three Card Poker, Player’s Edge Blackjack and WPT Heads Up Hold ‘Em.  Additionally, they are also home to a poker room that deals Texas Hold ‘Em, and features frequent tournaments.

The property features something that is kind of a cross between a casual American food place and a low-end steakhouse with a simple, but somewhat varied, American food menu.  In any case, the prices aren’t bad at all and the food seems pretty good.

This is another one that is basically just there for the gambling, restaurant and bar…nothing wrong with that.

Keno at Mobile Casinos

Keno and it’s close relative Bingo work brilliantly on a real money casino app. These are so popular that separate dedicated sites exist in some geos. Single player games, often with quirky themes are the most common titles on apps.

There are also game-show type novelty game titles in this popular category.

Lancer Lanes and Casino:

This property is another bowling and casino combination, which seems to be a pretty popular thing in the state.  If I had to guess, I would say that these started out as traditional bowling places with a sizeable banquet room that almost never got used, so as soon as card rooms became a possibility, they converted the banquet rooms to a small scale casino.

The bowling alley consists of sixteen lanes, and if you check out their website and look fast enough, the first thing you’ll notice is the word, “Casino,” with some smiling kids at a birthday party underneath…you certainly don’t see that everyday!

Anyway, the casino does not have house-banked table games and is instead a reasonably-sized poker room that operates Tuesday-Saturday and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.  It may open on Mondays for certain holidays, but would normally be closed.

The place doesn’t really have a restaurant in any traditional sense, but there are a few tables adjacent to a bar and they have some bar fare as well as grab and go stuff.

Nob Hill Casino

Located in Yakima, Washington, Nob Hill Casino is one of the locations whose use is primarily a card room.  Interestingly enough, there are a few bowling lanes here, but they don’t really do much to promote them.

The property is home to seven gaming tables and features regular Blackjack tournaments.  While they have a Facebook page, it doesn’t offer any specifics other than its, “Where the locals play?”

What do they play?  Well, if they don’t care to talk about it on their page, then neither do we.

Muckleshoot Casino

The Muckleshoot Casino is owned by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and is located in Auburn, Washington. The property is already quite sizable as it sits now, but is expanding with plans to open an eighteen-story hotel tower in 2022 that is in the final phase of construction as of the time of this writing.

Currently, the property features a 147,000 square foot gaming floor with another 10,000 coming when the hotel addition is finished, along with another casino bar. The hotel is slated to feature 400 guest rooms as well as a Native American cultural center. Overall, the property will end up being the most expansive casino property in the state.

Open 24 hours per day, it still features one of the largest gaming floors as it is home to more than 3,000 gaming machines as well as more than 70 gaming tables. The property is also home to one of the largest, if not THE largest, poker rooms in the Pacific Northwest clocking in at 32 tables.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find a full list of all of the machine titles on their website, however, they do have a partial listing that they keep updated to add all of their newly introduced games from the last year or so.

The more than 70 Table Games spread a number of choices including Blackjack, Spanish 21, WPT Heads Up Hold ‘Em, High Card Flush, EZ Baccarat, Roulette and Craps. Of course, not all of these games will be open around the clock (except maybe Blackjack) so we always recommend calling ahead for the typical operating hours if there’s a specific game that you want to play.

The property was once home to Live Keno, but now it features the fully automated EZ Keno with a number of different ticket and play options available at various kiosks located around the property.

Muckleshoot is also one of the few Washington locations that you can visit if you enjoy off-track betting. For this, punters will purchase their betting slips at one of several kiosks that are located around the property. As far as simulcast is concerned, there is a dedicated area with about fourteen televisions enabling you to watch the races on closed-circuit TVs.

The property is home to a number of eateries, even though the hotel has not been opened yet. Guests will enjoy restaurants such as 8 Asian Cuisine, which features a wide variety of Asian selections from around the planet, including Japanese style sushis and Vietnamese dishes.

BSB is basically a gastropub and the initials stand for Burgers, Spirits and Beer. This place does basically what it says on the box and is pretty comparable to something like BRGR, if you’re familiar with those restaurants.

They have a pizza place that is literally called, “Pizza,” and features New York style pizzas. If you like thin-crust pizza (this writer says, “Meh, it’s okay.”) then you can satisfy your need for a thin slice of pizza pie at this stop.

Baja Fresh Express is your go to place for quick casual and/or grab and go Mexican bites and, like the pizza place, is also located in the food court. You can never go wrong with economically priced Mexican food—Mexican is pretty much delicious no matter where it comes from—and this restaurant certainly fits the bill.

The Deli is also located in the food court and, surprisingly enough, serves the finest selection of sushi. We’re kidding, it’s a deli. This is the place for some quick eats in the form of various sandwiches and is also very wallet friendly, at least, by casino standards.

Manchu Wok is another Asian eatery, this time in the food court, and is mainly known for noodle and stir-fry type dishes. If you want Asian food and you want it quickly, then you really can’t go wrong. We’d recommend this one for lunch and would want to save dinner for the restaurant proper.

The Sweet Shoppe is temporarily closed, but with candies, pastries and other desserts, does basically what it says on the sign when it is open.

In addition to BSB, the property features two other bars called The Corner Bar and the Center Bar. The other two bars are just off of the casino floor and are located where their names would imply. Additionally, there is slated to be a third bar to come when the hotel opens. Notably, The Corner Bar features a variety of Local and Regional spirits, so that’s the place to go if you are not from the area and want to try out a new libation.

We would definitely recommend stopping to check out this casino if you’re somewhere around the area or live anywhere in the state. Not only does it have plenty of dining and gambling selections as it sits, but you’ll also be able to see how the hotel project is coming along. We’re going to look forward to the hotel opening so we can do a comprehensive review of what we expect to become a bona fide resort-type property.

Iron Horse Casino

The Iron Horse Casino is a reasonably popular spot in Auburn, Washington…largely because it is also home to a 24-hour diner, so while you can’t always play there, you can always eat.

The casino features the Iron Horse Lounge, which is known for frequently having live music to entertain dining and playing patrons alike.  There is a wide variety of table games available here, especially considering the size of the place, which include 3 Card Poker, 4 Card Poker, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, Double Deck Blackjack, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Spanish 21 and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.

We suppose that one notable thing is that most of the Washington card rooms do not spread Let it Ride, but this one does, so you know where to go if (like me) that’s one of your favorite games.  Aside from those games, the casino is also home to a poker area consisting of three tables that deals Texas Hold ‘Em.

The diner, as mentioned, and serves all three at diner prices—which is to say similar to a Denny’s, IHOP or something along those lines.

Anyway, it’s a pretty neat assortment of games and you can always go there if you’re hungry, so maybe check it out if you’re going to be in the area.

Best International Mobile Apps

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Greyhound and Horse Racing

It would be difficult to even talk about gambling in West Virginia without discussing greyhound racing. Unfortunately, West Virginia is one of only nine states in which greyhound racing is still legal, and as of the time of this writing, is one of only four states to be home to active greyhound tracks. Arkansas is in the process of phasing out greyhound racing at its last dog track.

Making it quite possible that West Virginia will be one of only three states to be home to the so-called, “Sport,” as early as January 2023.

What makes it difficult to talk about gambling in the state without discussing greyhound racing is the fact that it’s because of greyhound racing that the state even has casinos, or at least, that the state even got them when they did.

Pari-Mutuel wagering started in the state of West Virginia in the 1930’s and the opening of Charles Town Turf Club (now home to Hollywood Casino Charles Town) marked the first fixed location for horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering on same in the state. A few years later, Wheeling Downs would open on Wheeling Island, which is now home to Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack. Originally, Wheeling Downs served mainly as a location for harness racing in the state.

In 1951, Waterford Park (renamed Mountaineer Park and now home to Mountaineer Casino and Resort) would open and join the horse racing fray. To this day, it’s the only mile-long horse racing track in the State of West Virginia.

In any event, the racing industry was financially successful for a few decades, but eventually racing started to fall out of favor with the general public.

West Virginia, in 1987, would first authorize video lottery terminals (slot machines) at Mountaineer Park. In 1994, this allowance would be expanded to legalize slot machines at all four of the racing locations within the state. In exchange, a percentage of the revenues from the slot machines are designated to the racing purses (which means the amount that the owners of the animals can win) for the various horse and greyhound races.

Portions of casino revenues also go directly to subsidies called, “Breeders funds,” to subsidize the racing industry, but these subsidies are most problematic for the state’s two greyhound racing operators—Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino, Racetrack and Mardi Gras Casino.

In effect, the slots were first authorized in 1994 in order to give these locations a chance to essentially use a different (read: popular) form of gambling to save the racetracks. In the case of Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island, voters in the respective counties also authorized the casino to have table games, (in 2007) but the same were tied to a percentage of those revenues going to the, “Greyhound Breeders Fund.”

In other words, the entire history of West Virginia casino gambling has effectively been to save the racetracks. Greyhound and horse racing have steadily declined in popularity since even 1994. For example, Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino and Racetrack would just as soon do away with greyhound racing as such operation loses money even over and above the Greyhound Breeders Fund and a portion of slot revenues allocated to the purses.

If that weren’t bad enough, the current state laws also prevent the casinos from expanding. Ironically enough, Delaware North (owners of Wheeling Island) actually wanted to open a satellite location at a nearby shopping destination, “The Highlands.”:

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately given that nobody knew Covid-19 was coming, the specific law of the states forces them to remain physically tied to their greyhound race track on Wheeling Island. In addition to being an opportunity to earn more revenues, the casino also pointed out that occasional flooding on Wheeling Island itself (happens every two or three years, on average) often forces the casino to close for multiple days at a time.

The Greyhound Breeders Fund continues to exist, in part, because the state maintains that the fund preserves jobs in the greyhound industry. However, the construction of a new Wheeling Island satellite facility at The Highlands would result in temporary infrastructure jobs as well as permanent jobs at the new gaming location—so certainly jobs must not be the exclusive focus of the state on this one.

Both casinos have lobbied throughout the years to eliminate the ties to unprofitable money-sucking greyhound operations entirely. Additionally, they seek reductions from the state (almost every year) in the number of days that they have to run the greyhounds. The fact of the matter is this: The two casinos lose money on the activity every single day that races take place.

The original purpose of the Video Lottery in 1994 was to stabilize the properties financially and allow for the preservation of the racing industries within the state. Unfortunately, revenues from racing activities have continued to drop precipitously year-after-year (particularly with greyhounds) and the state had to allow a vote on Table Games so that even more money could go to an industry that was dismally failing.

Seriously, check out a greyhound race sometime at Wheeling Island! You’ll get to sit there and enjoy the suffering of dogs for no good reason all for the entertainment and delight of maybe four or five other people who are watching it live. Granted, simulcast wagering on these events may take place, but the casino operating the races makes very little on their cut of simulcast.

Another problem faced by the West Virginia casinos is out-of-state competition, particularly in bordering Ohio and Pennsylvania. In those states, casinos don’t necessarily have to be tied to racing (Ohio has a different type of license for racinos as opposed to casinos, Pennsylvania—on the state level—doesn’t strictly require a racetrack at all) and they also don’t have a significant percentage of their gaming revenues funding an unprofitable enterprise.

It’s for that reason (as well as being newer) that the casinos in Ohio and Pennsylvania are arguably much better. They have better offerings, they have more table games, they have better returns on video poker, Pennsylvania casinos often offer free alcoholic beverages (Ohio casinos cannot because that’s illegal in the state) and they can use more of their money to hopefully reinvest in the core assets—the casino components that actually make money!

That’s the story of the racing industry in West Virginia. Eventually, the state will have to realize that the industry (especially greyhounds) is a money train with the faucet cranked to full blast and any funding diverted from casino revenues to such a worthless enterprise puts the casinos at a disadvantage to nearby competition.

Live Casinos in West Virginia

There are currently 5 casinos, 4 of which are racetracks (2 horse racing, 2 for greyhounds).

1. The Mountaineer: This thoroughbred racetrack is home to a big casino. There are more than 1,500 slot machines, many table games and a poker room at this venue. It is also home to a William Hill branded live sportsbook. The Mountaineer is known for being one of the busiest racetracks in the country. In addition to their gambling options, there is a hotel, event center and multiple restaurants.
2. Hollywood Casino at Charlestown Races: Operated by Penn National Racing, the Hollywood Casino site also hosts thoroughbred horse racing. Key races include the Sprint Festival and Charles Town Classic. With a 5 day a week schedule, this is a busy track. They have a live sportsbook, more than 3,000 slots and multiple casino table games on offer.
3. Mardi Gras Casino and Resort: This casino is also a racetrack, only with greyhound racing instead of horses. It is located in the city of Nitro, WV. You can bet on horses via their OTB office, and enjoy casino games, slots and a large poker room. There is no sportsbook at the Mardi Gras, though you can enjoy dining, events and a 150-room hotel there.
4. Wheeling Island Casino and Racetrack: This casino is located in the middle of the Ohio River, on Wheeling Island. It is a greyhound racing facility with a casino and entertainment complex. There are more than 1,100 slots, plus casino table games and a smaller (9-table) poker room at this location.
5. The Greenbrier: This is the only casino in West Virginia not to also offer either horse or greyhound racing. It is a private club, located close to White Sulphur Springs, WV. With strict dress codes, and membership required, this is marketed as a luxury private resort. There is a sportsbook at this site (branded with FanDuel), plus a ‘casino club’. This resort is famous for its golfing facilities.

Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort

There’s that, “R Word,” getting tossed around again, but let’s take a look at this Suquamish, Washington property (owned and operated by a tribe of the same name) and see whether or not the designation is justified.

This is a property that is constantly developing. It opened in 1992 as just a Bingo Hall and added a small outdoor (tent) casino as soon as that compact went into effect. The permanent casino was opened in 2003 with a small hotel opening three years later and consisting of just over 80 rooms. Just recently, an addition to the hotel was built bringing the property’s total hotel room count to 183 rooms and suites.

The rooms themselves are extremely nicely appointed, but are actually surprisingly small for a place that wants to call itself a resort. The furnishings, while clean and nice enough, are also fairly basic except maybe the most expensive of their suites. Guests of the hotel will enjoy access to an indoor pool, outdoor jacuzzi, fitness center (closed for Covid-19 as of the time of this writing) complimentary wireless internet, fire pit, beach access and a Native American Art Gallery…which sounds really cool!

In addition to the hotel, the property is also home to a nineteen space RV Park.

As far as it being a resort, given the (not free) Angeline Spa as well as the dining selection and property amenities…we think the term is justifiable in this case. The rooms could definitely be bigger, but the property itself is gorgeous and there’s plenty of activities you can enjoy even aside from the casino floor.

As of the time of this writing, the casino is open from 10:00a-5:00a daily, except it’s open 24/7 on weekends. The property is home to north of 1,200 slot machines ranging in denominations from pennies to twenties.

Table Games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Pai-Gow Poker and Three-Card Poker. No need to make any calls if you’re looking for a specific game as they list the times that games will always be offered right here on their website.

Spanish 21 and Three-Card Poker are the only games that are not listed as scheduled at this time, so those would be the ones to call and check on if that’s going to make or break your decision to visit the property.

As of the time of this writing, Live Keno is offered and runs seven days per week from 11:00a.m.-10:00p.m., so you’re in luck if that’s your game of choice.

The property also features Live Bingo, but only on Wednesdays as of the time of this writing. There is a morning session and an evening session with doors opening one hour prior to session start time.

The establishment is home to several eateries including the Suquamish Agate Pass Deli, which is open from 11:00a.m.-2:00a.m. and features a variety of quick eats and grab and go items.

Beach Bru Coffee is located in the hotel lobby area and is your place for coffee drinks as well as pastries and other snacks.

Beach Glass Cafe is also located in the hotel tower lobby and serves both breakfast and lunch seven days per week. I don’t know that I would call the restaurant upscale casual, but the prices certainly are…thirteen bucks for an omelette (for one example) is definitely way more than the average price one would expect, even for a casino.

The Clearwater Restaurant is definitely upscale casual and is open for a great steak dinner on weekends. As of the time of this writing, they have a long-standing dinner special by which you can get a three-course meal for $40, which is pretty reasonable by casino steakhouse standards.

The Salish Kitchen Food Hall and Refreshments is closed as of the time of this writing, though they do intend to reopen it at some point. Serving a wide variety of foods including fresh seafood, this location is essentially the property’s buffet. Beach Rock Lounge and Sports is similarly closed at this time and would normally feature pub food, drinks and often live entertainment.

Overall, we can say that this property is nice enough and has enough to offer to rightfully call itself a resort, though we will point out that it’s kind of lacking in stuff to do for the kids…so definitely more of a couples retreat. All things considered, if you’re going to be in that general area, we would definitely consider this property for your entire stay and it’s definitely worthy of a Staycation if you live within a few hundred miles. If you’re just passing through, we would similarly suggest stopping in for a look. Just the Native American Art Museum alone is worth a stop.

Washington Casinos and Gambling

Short Summary: This page looks at the different forms of gambling in the State of Washington, discusses the legality of online gambling and gives a detailed listing of all of the casinos in the state.

Washington is a state that doesn’t really know where it wants to be on gambling, at least, that’s the way it seems.  The state has had Commercial Casinos (in a sense) for quite some time, but those have been in the form of card room type casinos (though often sizeable) that also have hosted live poker.

The card rooms have not been permitted to house video poker or slots, and have even prohibited games such as Craps and Roulette, though we will say that they technically qualify as casinos due to the fact that they are allowed to have many house-banked games—such as Blackjack.

There are a great number of Tribal Casinos in the State of Washington, which will be listed in the appropriate section below along with the card rooms.  Pursuant to a Tribal Compact with the State of Washington itself; (details on that to follow in this section) these Tribal Casinos are permitted to host Bingo, Keno, Class II Gaming Devices (Electronic Bingo) and Table Games.

Other permissible forms of gambling include limited Charitable Gambling activities, race tracks and simulcast wagering, social gambling…and, of course, there is a State Lottery.

Let’s break all of this down!

Daily Fantasy Sports Betting in West Virginia

Playing DFS contests for real money is legal in West Virginia. This was clarified by the attorney general, after the legality of the sites was questioned.

Popular sites include FanDuel and DraftKings. While both of these brands are opening full sports betting sites in WV – the DFS contests will remain in place. These games involve picking a roster of players for a day’s sporting action. Your line-ups can then compete with the picks of players from all over the country. There are different ways to win money with your line-ups. These include tournaments, head-to-head contests, games where 50% or the field get paid and more.

Roxy’s Bar and Grill

If you didn’t know what you were looking for, then you would probably miss it.  The place called Roxy’s Bar and Grill actually exists as part of Seattle’s Roxbury Lanes and Casino, so it has a lot more going on that just a Card Room.

One thing that we can say for them is that the weekday bowling prices (as of the time of this writing) are dirt cheap, so if you want to teach the kids how to bowl, Sundays thorough Thursdays are great days to do it.  Another nice thing is that this bowling alley charges by game, rather than by the hour, so the kids getting up to roll slowly is not going to hurt your wallet like it might in some other places.

Table Games at the casino part of the property include Blackjack, Pai-Gow Poker, Spanish 21, Four Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.  There is also a poker room that deals Texas Hold ‘Em in the evening hours and has frequent tournaments.

A sizeable arcade with over fifty games is also located at this establishment.  The best part for the kids is that the arcade has a dedicated pizza and snack bar of its own, so they won’t have to walk across the entire property to grab a bite.

The bar and grill does what it says on the sign and features American and Asian food at casual chain restaurant prices.

This is another one that you couldn’t go wrong to visit if you’re in the area.  Go in and play some poker since the kids will LOVE this arcade, but try to spend at least half of the time with them!

Drawings

• Sales: 279.4M
• Prizes: 134.8M
• Lottery Take: 144.6M
• Return to Player: 48.25%

The return to player for Drawing type games is positively disgusting, even by Drawing game standards.  Our assumption is probably that the state sells a higher proportion of mega jackpot national games than it does other drawing games.  Fortunately, from a few pages above, we can look at those sales numbers to determine whether or not that’s true.

Looking only at Powerball and Mega Millions, those two games combined for a total of about 161.3M in sales, which represents 57.73% of all drawing ticket sales, so it does indeed explain why the overall return on drawing games is so awful.  Simply stated: It’s because those games are even more awful than most.

In total, the state sold 803.2M in lottery tickets of which 490.3M was returned to players in the form of prizes.  The result is an average return of 61.04% across all lottery game types, so as we can see, Drawing type games pull down the average significantly.

In total, Lottery players lost $312,900,000 (rounded) to the State, so based on a population of 7.615M, the average lottery loss, per resident, $41.09.  This is among the lowest losses per resident in the entire country, but the reasons why can be identified easily enough:

1. Between the card rooms and Tribal Casinos, there are just much better (and better returning) ways to gamble.  Most players would prefer one of these ways as compared to the lottery.

1. The state does not have Video Lottery Terminal, “Parlors,” and it really should.  These parlors are a form of, “Convenience Gambling,” and many players enjoy the locations that are home to only a handful of machines, despite the fact that the options are fairly limited.  The machines do operate on “Vegas-style,” Random Number Generators and video poker, video keno and slot games are offered on those machines.

These parlor type games are almost Universally operated through the lottery departments, so lottery revenues would positively soar if these existed in the state.  More than that, it’s already been more than proven that casinos can successfully operate in states that have this other gambling option available.

Of course, we would love to get into the exact returns of each specific game, but the lottery report does not get into that, nor does it get into the amount of money spent (and returned) on individual Instant Games and instead lists all of them as a single line item.  Maybe one day Annual Reports will have to account for these things separately for maximum transparency, but unfortunately, today is not that day and tomorrow doesn’t look good either.

The Palace

This is listed this way on the state’s website, but this casino is another Palace Casino, this time in La Center, Washington.  Of course, there’s no way that could cause any confusion.

Anyway, this place emphasizes the gambling and Table Games include Blackjack, Pai-Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em and EZ Baccarat.  There is no poker room.

Fortunately, this restaurant in the establishment chooses to focus only on one thing, and Lucky Dragon’s one thing is great Vietnamese food at a reasonable price.  In addition to that, they also offer a seafood and sushi bar (pre-Covid, but might come back) during certain hours.

Summary

In summation, West Virginia has every kind of gambling a person could ever want, unless a person wants to play social home gambling games with no money going to a, “House,” in the form of a house edge or rake. They’re just out of luck, then.

But, with seemingly every possible form of gambling available to its residents, West Virginia is one of the most liberal gambling states in the country and has, in fact, been one of the most friendly states to gamblers for a very long time!

Coulee Dam Casino

Located in Coulee Dam, Washington, the appropriately enough named Coulee Dam Casino is owned and operated by the Coulee Confederated Tribe. Coming in at only 5,000 square feet in size, this is one of the locations in the state that’s basically a glorified slots parlor.

This is another property that falls under the 12 Tribes banner and is linked up with the Player’s Advantage Club, which is shared by the three properties.

This property consists of basically a gambling floor, bar and eatery. The machine count for this establishment is in the neighborhood of 150 units. The name of the property’s eatery is the Spillway Bar and Grill, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; it is open from 10:00a.m.-Midnight daily. As of the time of this writing, the casino is open from 9:00a.m.-Midnight, except for Fridays and Saturdays, when it’s open 24 hours.

Anyway, this is mainly just a locals hangout and overgrown slot parlor more than anything else. You might want to peek in and grab something to it if you’re right around Coulee Dam anyway, but if not, there’s no need to go out of your way to see this one.

Aces Casino Entertainment

Aces Casino Entertainment is located in Spokane, Washington and functions as much as a bar as it does a cardroom.  Far from the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, this location is home to six house-banked table games.

House banked games include Blackjack, Three-Card Poker and what almost seems to be a rotating assortment of other poker and blackjack variants.  In addition to that, the establishment is home to three poker tables at which Texas Hold ‘Em is the most commonly dealt game.  Despite only having three tables, this venue holds poker tournaments with some frequency.

In addition to the gambling offerings, this establishment simultaneously exists as a pub with a restaurant that serves casual American fare at reasonable prices.

Mobile Slot Apps

Slots are the most popular casino games. You’ll find 100’s to choose from at many online casinos. Some titles are adaptations of classic live casino slots, while many others are brand new. If you thought slots were all 3-reel games where you line up 7’s, then you are in for a surprise. Entertaining themes, 5 reels and interactive bonus games are all now available.

When you download a real money slot app, the graphics and animations used for the bonus games are already installed. If you choose the browser-based mobile games, you’ll often have to wait for bonus features to load / initialize. While this does not affect your wins, it can be an unwelcome interruption.

Some of the most popular real-money mobile slot games include:

• Cleopatra (IGT)
• Quick Hits (Bally)
• Divine Fortune (NetEnt)
• Wheel of Fortune (IGT)
• Blazing 7’s (Bally)
• Hot Zone (Bally)
• Zeus Series of Games (WMS / Scientific Games)
• Texas Tea (IGT)
• Money Storm (IGT)

With so many mobile slot games to choose from, finding your favorite studio is a great way to narrow your search.

Royal Casino Everett

Royal Casino Everett is located in a city of the same name.

This is one of the card room properties that pretty much just does that in addition to a restaurant operation.  They have a wide variety of Table Games that include Blackjack, Four Card Prime, High Card Flush, Baccarat, Pai-Gow Poker, WPT Heads Up Hold ‘Em, No Commission Baccarat and Deuces and Joker Wild Stud Poker.

The property also sells Pull Tabs, but is not home to a poker room…probably because they use their entire tables allowance on offering a bunch of different house-banked games.

The restaurant that does not seem to have a separate name serves mostly American food, but also has some Asian selections, and it is open for lunch and dinner.  Aside from a few of the most expensive entrees, you can basically expect casual chain restaurant type prices.

Zeppoz!

That’s certainly a fun name for a place that primarily operates as a bowling alley.

Okay, fine, I put the exclamation mark there, I admit it.

In addition to the bowling and casino, this establishment is also home to 25 combined arcade games as well as ticket redemption games that enable the kids to win prizes.  It’s another one of those, “Fun for the whole family,” type places, which is awesome.

The place has a number of lanes available for public bowling as long as leagues (which there are plenty of) are going on at the time and has pretty reasonable prices.  They also have an event called Cosmic Bowling with strobe lights and such, but mind your wallet if you’re going to do that as it is much more expensive.

The menu is pretty much your standard American fare along with a few other choices.  The food prices are basically comparable to those of a chain restaurant, so that’s not going to break the bank.

The casino is called Mr. Z’s Casino and features an assortment of Table Games including Blackjack, Pai-Gow Poker and Heads Up Hold ‘Em.  Additionally, there is a poker area with a few tables that deals Texas Hold ‘Em.

So, perhaps not quite as much as the other bowling and gambling places, but still a good bit and there’s something for the whole family to do, which is always neat.

—

Well, that’s about it for the card rooms, at least for the time being considering that one application for card room licensing is pending and there may be additional applications in the future.  Some games are more common than others with the most common being Blackjack and other popular ones being Pai-Gow Poker and Baccarat of one variation or the other.  From what we can tell, only one of the card rooms has a Let it Ride table, so if you absolutely must have that game, you know where to go.

Overall, it seems like about half of the card rooms have player banked poker and the rest do not.  All of the card rooms have some type of restaurant or bar, which is probably a requirement in order to be allowed to have a card room anyway.  Maybe one out of every five of the card rooms is also home to a bowling alley.

That will take us to the Tribal Casinos, which are honestly as plentiful as the card rooms are and perhaps even more geographically spread out.  These are the places to go if you’re specifically looking for a gambling destination as many will have hotels and they also have more varied gambling offerings than do the card rooms—and can legally have everything that the card rooms do.

Legends Casino at Yakama Nation

The Legends Casino at Yakama Nation is located in Toppenish, Washington and is owned and operated by the Yakama Nation. The proper designation for this casino, at least as of 2016, is the Legends Casino Hotel. While they don’t call themselves a resort, they could probably get away with it considering that the property has a spa, over 1,000 gaming machines and more than twenty table games. Let’s look at what else the property has to offer.

The property features, as mentioned, a combination of guest rooms and 18 suites that results in a total of 200 rooms for the hotel. Amenities include valet parking, complimentary wireless internet, indoor pool and hot tub, fitness center, Yakama Nation cultural display (neat!), 52-inch HDTVs, refrigerators in every room and Keurig coffee makers. The entire hotel section of the property is 100% non-smoking.

The moderately sized slot floor is home to over 1,500 gaming devices across more than 200 different machine titles. Additionally, there is a table games pit that features 24 gaming tables and spreads Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Spanish 21 and Pai Gow Poker. They say that they also have some other carnival games, but the website wants you to call and inquire about those. We haven’t yet had the opportunity to physically visit this property, so unfortunately, we can’t offer any additional insight. This writer has had it reported to him that there is or was Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em at this property.

Either way, if you’re looking for a specific game that is not listed, you should call and inquire. Besides that, you should probably call and inquire about the typical operating hours for anything other than Blackjack if you’re looking for a particular game and intend to visit this casino.

There is usually a poker room at this property, but it is currently closed as a result of Covid-19. As of the time of this writing, they do intend to reopen the poker room at some point in the future.

Legends Casino is also one of the few casinos in the state to feature a live Keno Lounge. As of the time of this writing, it is open from noon-9:00p.m. daily, so if that’s your thing, you’re in luck.

The property is home to a modestly-sized event schedule that features some national acts. Unfortunately, all events have been rescheduled until the year 2021, but you can find the current schedule of events on their website…and you should definitely go take a look if you’re reading this in 2021. As of the time of this writing, Tesla and The Commodores are among the scheduled concerts for 2021.

The property is still operating a buffet starting at 11:00a.m. daily and it features pizza, burgers, Mexican food and other sandwiches. Unfortunately, patrons have a dining limit of thirty minutes, so you can’t really take your time when making your selections or going back for seconds. Naturally, the time limit is a result of Covid and might go away when this mess finally gets cleared up. In the meantime, it’s tough to recommend the buffet because thirty minutes simply isn’t really enough time.

The food court only consists of two eateries as of the time of this writing and, once again, due to Covid-19. Creations is an American food establishment and Legendary Burgers does what it says on the box. Fortunes (Asian food) and Madres (Mexican) are both expected to reopen at a later date.

The property is also home to an Espresso Bar for coffee drinks, snacks and other pastries from 7:00a.m.-9:00p.m..

Unfortunately, this is one property that really based a lot of the dining experience on their buffet, so Covid really kind of screwed them over in that regard. The dining selection basically consisted of the food court and buffet…so the current situation leaves guests kind of wanting for an actual dining experience.

Because of that, it’s kind of difficult for us to recommend the property for a staycation unless you’re going to be right in that area anyway. Due to some of the precautions being taken, and it’s certainly not their fault, but there’s just not really much to do there aside from the gambling. We would probably bump up our opinion of it when the dust has settled on the pandemic, but for now, we can only really recommend it for a one night stay or a day visit if you happen to be in the area.

One other thing we should quickly mention is that they do not open until 10:00a.m. Monday-Thursday, so that’s something you’re going to want to keep in mind if you’re planning a visit.

Great American Casino Everett

That brings us to our next set of mini-chains, which go by Great American Casino followed by the name of whatever city they happen to be in.  The name of these casinos is often shortened to, “GAC,” and anyone who visits them regularly would know what you’re talking about.

This property is not home to player-v-player poker, but it does have an assortment of table games spread across fifteen physical tables including: Progressive Fortune Pai Gow, Double Deck King’s Bounty, Player’s Edge, High Card Flush, Crazy 4 Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em and Fortune 7 Baccarat.

As with so many of the others, this location is also home to a restaurant that serves some Chinese food, some Vietnamese food and some Casual American food.  The prices are in the same range as any of the others, so basically what you might expect to pay in a chain restaurant of the same type.

Live Dealer Casino Games on Android / iPhone / iPad

Live dealer table games are taking an increasing share of players from the old-style (software) table games. These games have a real dealer, in real time – via a stream from a remote studio. They have been running internationally for years. More recently NJ and PA mobile casinos started to offer them. There are dedicated apps for live dealer casino games at some international casinos.

Games with live dealers include blackjack, roulette, casino poker games and baccarat.

I recommend a bigger screen and stable (preferably Wi-Fi) connection for these games. There are two reasons:

1. First, the mix of streamed game and betting options are too crowded for smaller screens. It would be easy to make a mistake.
2. Second, if you time out, for example with bad mobile phone reception, then your hand will be folded (or you may miss the chance to bet).

If you play live dealer games via an app, then a tablet will solve the first issue. These can be accessed via mobile phones / apps – though I recommend a test-run at your preferred casino (to view the games) before you play for real money.

Casino Apps by Device

In the past, code differences meant that Apple users were not able to access some casino games without plugins. Compatibility issues with Flash software was the root of this. Casinos adapted quickly, with games now using HTML5 or Java to work across devices. While there may be some legacy slots which still have not been adapted – all the best classic games have been switched over.

If you are in a newly regulated state and using an iPhone or iPad, then you’ll need to wait for casino apps to appear.

Apple changed the technical requirements for gambling apps to be allowed in their store. This was ostensibly to give them visibility of the code – to ensure everything is safe for users. Practically, it means that the casinos need to re-code their apps in Apples’ own programming language. I am sure the larger casino brands are working on this – though it will take time to move all the games over.

Google doesn’t allow casino or betting apps into the Play store. Unlike with Apple apps, there is a work-around. You can download the apps directly from the casino websites.

Casino Caribbean Yakima

It looks like Casino Caribbean is turning into a bona fide franchise!  Maybe not, but they do have another similarly-themed and branded location in Yakima, Washington.

House-banked Table Games include Blackjack, Pai-Gow Poker, Spanish 21, Four-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em and High Card Flush.

Still no Caribbean Stud!?  What!?  Does the state not approve that game?

The poker room mainly spreads Texas Hold ‘Em and has regularly scheduled promotions and tournaments.  Another interesting aspect of the poker room is that you can look at their website and see what games are going on as well as how many people (if any) are waiting to get in on a game.

Similar to the other location, the dining consists mostly of Casual American fare and sandwiches, but all of it comes at reasonable prices.  This location also has a fairly expansive drinks selection.

Aristocrat slot machines buffalo

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Sports Betting

In 2018, West Virginia became the fifth state to legalize Sports Betting in both its physical casinos and any online casino (since then) linked to one of the state’s physical casinos.

In Fiscal Year 2020, sports betting win for all sources (casinos) combined was only about $19,150,000 based on the state’s 10% cut of all win being $1,915,000, so the results are pretty mixed. It’s really tough to say how much of this win wouldn’t be going to some other area of the casino anyway. It’s also tough to do an apples-for-apples type of analysis given the impact that Covid-19 had on all gambling during part of the Fiscal Year.

Fortune Casino Renton

Maybe you’ll make a fortune at this Fortune Casino location located in a town of the same name.

If poker against other players is your thing, this card room is likely best avoided.  The types of gambling that take place here are entirely house-banked table games which include: Blackjack, Baccarat, Pai-Gow Poker and High Card Flush.

The restaurant does not seem to go by any separate name and serves a combination of Chinese, Vietnamese and Casual American food dishes.  In all cases, the prices are pretty comparable to chain restaurants of those ilks, though the selection is a bit limited (relative to each one) because it is essentially doing three totally different types of food.

Online Gambling

We will quote the law again to be clear:

Aside from forms of gambling legalized by the State, gambling is illegal. The most dangerous law to players that I have seen makes it a Class C Felony to transmit or receive gambling information by electronic means, and yes, the Internet is specifically mentioned.

Unless the state specifically permits a form of online gambling, then it is unquestionably illegal and is, in fact, a Felony, even if you’re a player.

For this reason, many overseas online casinos (even though they are themselves out of the jurisdictional reach of the state) will NOT offer services to Washington players, despite the fact that they offer their services in other states.

Listen, if you’re from Washington, you have two choices:

1. Believe sites that will tell you what you want to hear.

OR:

1. Believe sites that will tell you the truth.

Of course it would benefit us to say that online gambling is legal for players in Washington, because some people are going to be disinclined from playing if it is illegal.  But, unlike some other sites floating around the Internet…we’re not going to be liars.

The truth is that it is not legal, and not only is it not legal, it’s one of the only states where it could be a felony for players.  Is it likely that this law will be enforced against you?  Probably not.  But, it’s possible and the consequences could be very serious.

The Washington State Gambling Commission has this to say.

Can I bet on sports on the Internet?

No. For Washington State residents, all gambling on the Internet is illegal, including all types of sports betting. It’s also risky, since many Internet gambling sites are operated from foreign countries with different laws. Players may not receive money even if they do win, and Washington residents have no legal way to claim their winnings from an online bet.

(Bold Added)

Here is the full Washington gambling statute:

Gambling information, transmitting or receiving.

(1) Whoever knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore, the internet, a telecommunications transmission system, or similar means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information shall be guilty of a class C felony subject to the penalty set forth in RCW 9A.20.021.

(2) This section shall not apply to such information transmitted or received or equipment or devices installed or maintained relating to activities authorized by this chapter including, but not limited to, sports wagering authorized under RCW 9.46.0364 and 9.46.0368, or to any act or acts in furtherance thereof when conducted in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and in accordance with the rules adopted under this chapter and conducted in accordance with tribal-state compacts.

[ 2020 c 127 § 10; 2006 c 290 § 2; 1991 c 261 § 9; 1987 c 4 § 44; 1973 1st ex.s. c 218 § 24.]

NOTES:

Intent—Effective date—2020 c 127: See notes following RCW 9.46.0364.

State policy—2006 c 290: “It is the policy of this state to prohibit all forms and means of gambling, except where carefully and specifically authorized and regulated. With the advent of the internet and other technologies and means of communication that were not contemplated when either the gambling act was enacted in 1973, or the lottery commission was created in 1982, it is appropriate for this legislature to reaffirm the policy prohibiting gambling that exploits such new technologies.” [ 2006 c 290 § 1.]

The only form of Internet Gambling that has been authorized by the state is Sports Betting if you are doing it through one of the Tribal Casinos that are physically located within the state.

Therefore, not only is gambling online in the State of Washington illegal, the state actually went as far as to ADD TO THE GAMBLING LAWS to specify that Internet gambling constitutes illegal gambling for both players and operators.

Your computer is the, “Equipment,” receiving and transmitting gambling information.

Okay?  Any site that says to the contrary of this is lying.  We hope we have made that very clear.

In any case, it’s unlikely that an individual player would find himself in legal hot water, but it’s your decision to make.  This writer would personally not do it.  A Misdemeanor and little fine is one thing, but I don’t have any interest if there is more than 0% chance of being found guilty of a felony.

Conclusion

With the exception of actual Class III slot machines like other gambling jurisdictions, in a roundabout way, Washington has everything that most gamblers could ever want.  The only thing that they really seem to be missing is full-scale casinos and that’s because they just seem to not want to authorize slot machines.

Of course, you have to go to a Tribal Casino if you want to do any sports betting or live Keno, as those are all things that are not permitted in the card rooms.  At least slot players will have the Tribal Video Lottery (called, “Electronic Bingo” anywhere else) machines to keep them occupied there and probably wouldn’t even notice the difference if you don’t tell them.

As with slot machines, the state is pretty hardcore about online gambling, so we don’t expect a full authorization and regulation of that to come anytime soon.  Unfortunately, it’s also one of the only states where playing online in the capacity of a player (rather than operator) could ever be considered a felony.

For that reason, we also wouldn’t expect Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) parlors to appear anytime soon.  Other than the fact that the Tribal Casinos can have a certain type of machine that is basically a slot machine and not at the same time…the state pretty much seems adamantly opposed to anything having to do with machines.

The Charitable Gaming laws are pretty liberal, so a charitable Bingo game should not be a difficult thing for you to find.

Overall, we wouldn’t exactly consider this a destination state for gambling, but if you’re a gambler who is going to the state anyway (or if you actually live in the state) take solace in the fact that Washington isn’t the worst place you could be…that would be Utah.

Mobile Casino App by State

There is a lot of competition between online casinos. You can take advantage of bonus offers, free play and promotions at several casinos before you decide which is right for you.

The following picks have the best games, bonus deals and come from solid brands with good reputations. They are divided into New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Canada / UK.

Slo Pitch Sports Grill and Casino

Located in Bellingham, Washington, Slo Pitch Sports Grill and Casino basically does everything that the sign says, but also features a restaurant totally worth trying on its own merit, whether or not you gamble.

There’s a big emphasis on the sports bar component as they have 20 big screen HDTV’s lining the facility, so as they say, there’s not a bad seat in the house!  This place serves all three of the meals you need that day, and is perhaps a bit pricey (though with regular specials), but they have some bang-up sandwiches.  Totally worth the price.

Hopefully your seat in the Table Games area won’t be a bad one, though you can always switch if things aren’t going well…not that it will do anything.  Table Games spread are Blackjack, Heads Up Hold ‘Em and Pai-Gow Poker.  They also have a poker area with both Limit and No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em that has frequent tournaments and promotions, sometimes hourly!

Card Rooms

We want to give our readers advance notice that there’s really not going to be a whole lot to read about each of the individual card rooms.  Most of them are essentially just bar/restaurant type places with a handful of gaming tables operating.

The Card Rooms listed are based on this state report.

Which should be current as of the time of this writing, because the report is from 2020 and this is the year 2020.  There’s also an application pending, according to the report, so depending on that approval; it may be added to this list at a later time.

Of course, there’s more to some of these places than others as the overall property might have more going on than just gambling, food and drink.  As you will soon find out, many of these card rooms share a building with bowling alleys, arcades and some have multiple restaurants.  Many of these card rooms are located in some kind of strip mall, so while we perhaps missed it on one or two of them, we tried to indicate that in the listing.

Without further ado: